TNAG-1204-FCO40-1506-Policy-on-visas-and-entry-certificates-in-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 29

GR 11000

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKEY 261108Z

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 260947Z FEB 82

TO IMMEDIATE F C C

TELEGRAM NUMBER 197 OF 26 FEBRUARY

INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

YOUR TELNO 189

-

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

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1. TWC PROBLEMS APPEAR TO HAVE ARISEN FROM THE THREE

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS ASKED BY MR. PARRY ABOUT HEALTH PROBLEMS

IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY. THEY ARE :

(A) A LACK OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION TO THESE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS, AND

(B) AN APPARENT GAP BETWEEN THE REPLIES TO QUESTIONS (4) AND (5).

THE FOLLOWING COMPREHENSIVE REPLY TO THESE THREE QUESTIONS HAS THEREFORE BEEN PREPARED.

2. NO SUBSTANCES ARE BANNED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE ELECTRONICS

INDUSTRY IN U.K. THE CHEMICALS USED IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

IN HONG KONG ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE CHEMICALS USED IN U.K. THEY

CAN BE GROUPED INTO BROAD DIVISIONS OF SOLVENTS, ACIDS, METALS, GASES, PLASTIC MATERIALS SUCH AS EPOXY RESIN AND RADIOACTIVE CHEMICALS, WITH A NUMBER OF SUBSTANCES UNDER EACH HEADING IN USE DEPENDING ON THE PARTICULAR PROCESS INVOLVED. THE TOXICITY OF THESE

CHEMICALS OF WHICH CARCINOGENICITY MAY BE AN ELEMENT VARIES AND THE ARE THE USUAL HEALTH HAZARDS FROM INHALATION, INGESTION OR SKIN

CONTACT WHICH EXIST IN ANY WORK SITUATION INVOLVING THE USE OF

CHEMICALS. WHILE OCCASIONAL WORK-RELATED ILLNESS SUCH AS DERMATITIS

AND ALLERGIC REACTION FROM RESIN WORKKING DO OCCUR THE WORLDWIDE HEALTH RECORD OF THE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN VERY SATISFACTORY, AND THERE

IS NO EVIDENCE TO DATE OF SERIOUS INDUSTRY GENERATED HEALTH HAZARD.

THE U.K. HAS NOT PRESCRIBED ANY SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE

MONITORING OF THE ENVIRONMENT OR WORKERS IN THE ELECTRONICS

INDUSTRY IN PARTICUULAR, HOWEVER, THERE ARE SPECIAL REGULATIONS COVERING THOSE WORKERS WHO HANDLE RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES, WHICH APPLY GENERALLY. SIMILAR LEGISLATION EXISTS IN HONG KONG, 1.E. THE RADIATION ORDINANCE AND ITS SUBSIDIARY REGULATIONS.

THE V.K. CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES REGULATIONS 1967 PROHIBIT THE

USE OF CERTAIN CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCES BUT AS FAR AS IS KNOWN THESE

ARE NOT USED IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY EITHER HERE OR IN U.K.

CONFIDENTIAL

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